Midweek report

From Washington, DC
- Roll Call tells us,
- “House Republicans rescued their “big, beautiful” reconciliation bill from an early death in the Senate Wednesday by passing a measure deleting various provisions that would have violated Senate budget rules.
- “To avoid a stand-alone vote on the fixes, automatic adoption of the resolution correcting the engrossment of the House reconciliation bill was embedded in a rule needed for floor debate of an unrelated bill that would cancel $9.4 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds. The House adopted the rule on a nearly party-line vote of 213-207.
- “Rules Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said during floor debate that no new provisions were added to the reconciliation bill. She said the corrections measure only deleted some provisions for technical reasons “to make sure this big, beautiful bill has its day in the Senate.”
- The American Hospital Association News informs us,
- “The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee today released its text for the budget reconciliation bill. The text includes one health care provision, which would fund cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers in Affordable Care Act marketplaces. It also includes several policies related to student loan and repayment programs, including the termination of the Grad PLUS loan program effective July 1, 2026, and a change to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for new borrowers that would not allow medical or dental residents to count their time in residency as qualifying payments for loan repayment.”
- “The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee today released its text for the budget reconciliation bill. The text includes one health care provision, which would fund cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers in Affordable Care Act marketplaces. It also includes several policies related to student loan and repayment programs, including the termination of the Grad PLUS loan program effective July 1, 2026, and a change to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for new borrowers that would not allow medical or dental residents to count their time in residency as qualifying payments for loan repayment.”
- STAT News reports,
- “Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (La.) is the latest Republican to take an interest in legislation that would tie U.S. brand drug prices to lower prices in other wealthy countries, according to seven people following the issue.” * * *
- “Trump last month announced plans for pushing U.S. drug prices down to foreign levels, and more details are supposed to be forthcoming. However, it’s not clear that the administration could pressure drugmakers into matching the prices they charge abroad, which are typically much lower, without Congress passing a law that requires them to do so.” * * *
- “After Trump’s announcement, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) also introduced a bill with Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) that would base U.S. prices on what other countries pay.
- “Cassidy’s bill would apply to Medicare prices, while the Hawley/Welch bill would apply to all retail drugs, not just those for which Medicare pays.
- “The Cassidy bill would instruct Medicare to claw back what it is owed when drugmakers charge prices that are higher than the foreign reference prices. It sets criteria for the countries that would be used to set prices, and Medicare would maintain that list.
- ‘The Hawley/Welch bill enforces its requirement for lower prices with civil monetary penalties that are 10 times the difference between the U.S. list price and the average price of the drug sold in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom.”
- The Washington Post reports,
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named eight people to the influential federal panel that recommends vaccines to Americans Wednesday, elevating several vaccine critics days after he purged the group’s entire membership.
- His picks for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices include a well-known pediatric infectious diseases expert and at least two people who have criticized the use of mRNA coronavirus vaccines. Some of the more notable selections include Martin Kulldorff, the co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration * * * and Vicky Pebsworth, who has been listed on the board of the nation’s oldest anti-vaccine group.
- “All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense,” Kennedy said in a Wednesday X post announcing the picks. “They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.”
- “The other new members are Joseph R. Hibbeln, a psychiatrist; Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management; Robert W. Malone, a biochemist; Cody Meissner, a pediatrician; James Pagano, an emergency medicine physician; Michael Ross, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology.”
- Federal News Network relates,
- “More than 460 laid-off employees at the nation’s top public health agency received notices Wednesday that they are being reinstated, according to a union representing the workers.
- “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed reinstatement notices went out to the former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees but provided few details.
- “About 2,400 CDC employees lost their jobs in a wave of cuts across federal health agencies in early April, according to a tally at the time.” * * *
- “An estimated 200 of the reinstated workers are based in the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, HHS officials confirmed. Staffers at a CDC lab that does testing for sexually transmitted diseases are being brought back, said one CDC employee who wasn’t authorized to discuss what happened and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
- “Also reinstated are an estimated 150 employees at the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health, including people staffing a lab that works on lead poisoning, according to the union and employees.”
- Per Fierce Pharma,
- “Nine years after selling Medivation to Pfizer for $14 billion, David Hung, M.D., is going toe to toe with the New York drugmaker and two other pharma giants in a lung cancer field.
- “Hung’s Nuvation Bio has won FDA approval for Ibtrozi, or taletrectinib, to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With the nod, Ibtrozi will go up against existing medicines from Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb and Roche.
- “ROS1 is a well-established subset of NSCLC. As it stands, Roche’s Rozlytrek is largely duking it out with BMS’ Augtyro, while Pfizer’s first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Xalkori gradually falls out of favor.
- “However, ROS1 NSCLC has not been viewed as a major market opportunity, with combined Rozlytrek and Augtyro sales reaching roughly $200 million in 2024 despite their additional uses in NTRK gene fusion-positive solid tumors.
- “But Hung believes Ibtrozi boasts a unique profile that could allow the next-generation TKI to reach new heights. For their part, analysts at Jefferies see potential for the Nuvation drug to become a blockbuster.”
From the public health and medical research front,
- STAT News points out,
- “Deaths from alcohol-related liver diseases have been rising for years — and at an accelerated rate for groups including women, young adults, and Indigenous people. New data suggest a surge in deaths in the early months of the pandemic has continued in subsequent years.
- “The study presents a discouraging picture of the nation’s liver health. Between 2018 and 2022, the most recent year for which mortality data are available, the annual percentage change in alcohol-associated liver disease deaths was nearly 9%, compared to 3.5% between 2006 and 2018.
- “Men still made up the bulk of these deaths, with 17 deaths per 100,000 people. But women’s death rates sped up, jumping up to 8 deaths from 3 per 100,000 people in the time period studied. On average, the annual percent change in women’s mortality was 4.3% — nearly twice that of men. Researchers also highlight a worsening trend of sudden and dangerous liver inflammation appearing in young people.
- “While alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) mortality was relatively stable from 1999 to 2006, it’s been on the rise since then, and has worsened especially since 2018, according to findings published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. Experts know the pandemic had something to do with that change, since studies suggest people drank more during the Covid era. But new data, and the continuing influx of younger patients with severe illness, further troubles liver doctors and public health researchers.
- “It puts numbers to what we’re seeing in the hospital, in the clinic,” said Brian Lee, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist at Keck Medicine of USC who was not involved with the study.”
- The American Journal of Managed Care lets us know,
- “In the process of recovering from COVID-like symptoms, mental health and well-being took close to 3 times as long to recover compared with physical health, according to new research published online today. These new data from December 2020 through the end of August 2022 show that although physical health tends to bounce back by 3 months after symptoms became apparent, mental well-being can take up to 9 months to reach a comparable level of recovery.
- “In Open Forum Infectious Diseases, these findings and additional data from the CDC’s INSPIRE project (Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry; NCT04610515) shed new light on recovery after COVID-like symptoms.1 The study authors also highlight that up to 1 year after infection, close to 20% of patients continued to report a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) vs before their self-reported COVID-like symptoms, and that there is potential for underestimation of other illnesses because of this; among their study population, health recovery recovered to a higher level for those who reported COVID-like symptoms vs those who tested negative.
- “For patient prognostics, we found somewhat more pronounced recovery (i.e., return to the optimal HRQOL) for those in the COVID+ group compared to the COVID− groups, after adjustment,” the study authors wrote. Their results speak to the need for ongoing vigilance on the part of health care providers toward their patients’ mental health throughout recovery and to tailor care strategies accordingly.”
- Per MedPage Today,
- “CT colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy, reduced the incidence of colorectal cancer by up to 75% versus no screening, while stool DNA testing reduced the incidence by 59%.
- “Stool testing was cost-effective relative to no screening, while CT colonography was actually cost saving.
- “CT colonography should be considered a legitimate first-line screening option along with stool testing and optical colonoscopy.”
- Per Medical News Today,
- As people are living longer, there is a greater emphasis on healthy aging.
- Diet is one aspect that can contribute to healthier aging.
- A new study found that consuming more foods and beverages rich in flavonoids may help lower a person’s risk of certain aspects of unhealthy aging, such as frailty and poor mental health.
- Flavonoids are found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods, such as:
- Berries like blueberries and raspberries; Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit; Dark chocolate; Fruits such as peaches and bananas; Green and black tea; Leafy greens such as kale and spinach; Red wine; Vegetables such as peas, onions, and tomatoes
- The Washington Post relates,
- “With a silly smile and frilly gills, the axolotl has wriggled its way into the hearts of millions, becoming a popular aquarium pet and pop culture icon in video games, children’s books and toy stores.
- “But this adorable species of salamander is also helping researchers investigate a serious medical mystery: Could the human body be coaxed to regrow a severed arm or leg?
- “Scientists are turning to the axolotl because it is an expert at regeneration. After losing a limb, an adult axolotl can grow it back fresh and new.
- “In a study published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, scientists used axolotls genetically engineered to glow in the dark to understand the molecular underpinnings of this amazing trait.
- “This species is special,” said James Monaghan, a Northeastern University biologist who led the research. They’ve “really become the champion of some extreme abilities that animals have.”
- GenEdge reports,
- “Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research have identified a network of nerve cells that may be responsible for a reduction in feelings of hunger that may be felt as a result of smelling food, in mice. The team discovered a direct connection from the nose to a group of nerve cells in the brain that are activated by the smell of food and, when activated, trigger a feeling of fullness in lean mice, but not in obese mice. The discovery may suggest that treating obesity might require different advice about smelling food before a meal based on a person’s weight.
- “Our findings highlight how crucial it is to consider the sense of smell in appetite regulation and in the development of obesity,” said study lead Sophie Steculorum, PhD, research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research. “Our study shows how much our daily-lives’ eating habits are influenced by the smell of food. Since we discovered that the pathway only reduces appetite in lean mice, but not in obese mice, our study opens up a new way to help prevent overeating in obesity.”
- The Wall Street Journal reports,
- “Some health-obsessed Americans believe the next antiaging therapeutic already exists—in the medicine cabinets of millions of diabetes patients.
- “The widely used class of drugs, called SGLT2 inhibitors and sold under brand names such as Jardiance and Farxiga, have been on the market for over a decade as Type 2 diabetes medications. They have also gained regulatory approval to treat conditions like heart failure and kidney disease.
- ‘Recently, though, the drugs have emerged as a hot topic on popular health podcasts and Reddit forums for longevity enthusiasts, many of whom don’t suffer from any of those conditions. Instead, they are adding SGLT2 inhibitors to a roster of hacks they hope will help them live healthier for longer—or in other words, increase their healthspan.” * * *
- “This is probably the drug class of our era,” says Dr. Timothy Gong, section physician leader for heart failure and transplant cardiology at Baylor University Medical Center, who has researched SGLT2 inhibitors. “You see cardiologists, nephrologists, endocrinologists, even general internists as well, just getting so excited.”
- “Gong says he wouldn’t be surprised to take an SGLT2 inhibitor one day, once they are studied more, though he’s free from heart issues and diabetes. Yet it’s too early to prescribe it for longevity benefits in otherwise healthy patients.
- “I don’t think that the evidence is strong enough yet for us to be able to say that,” he says.”
From the U.S. healthcare business front,
- Beckers Hospital Review calls attention to 15 health systems that were profitable in the first quarter, and the eight healthcare startups that made CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list.
- Modern Healthcare reports,
- “Risant Health CEO Dr. Jaewon Ryu said the new nonprofit system is making progress rolling out the first wave of its value-based care platform.
- “The system is growing quickly, having completed two acquisitions in the past year-and-a-half. Oakland, California-based Kaiser Permanente launched Risant in early 2024 with the acquisition of Geisinger Health, followed by another deal in December to buy Cone Health. Kaiser formed Risant as a separate entity to acquire health systems and create a national value-based care network.
- “As Risant expands, it is implementing a gameplan for value-based care throughout its footprint, ranging from primary care guidelines to technological tools that can help improve patient care.”
- The Pharmacy Times discusses “The Role of Pharmacists in Cardiovascular Health: A Collaborative Approach to Treatment, Counseling, and Nutrition.”
- Per Fierce Healthcare,
- NeuroFlow, a behavioral health tech company, has launched a suite of analytics tools to help payers and providers understand population risk.
- BHIQ is a standalone product built on the analytics work NeuroFlow has already routinely been doing for years. It leverages existing data, like historical EHR, claims and pharma data, to predict the behavioral health needs of a population or a patient. It also helps organizations understand the efficacy of their interventions. NeuroFlow piloted BHIQ with a number of partners including commercial payers, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans and ACOs.
- “This certainly is not meant to be a replacement to a diagnostic tool, and it’s not meant to diagnose issues,” NeuroFlow CEO Chris Molaro told Fierce Healthcare. “It’s more of a compass to help point them in the right direction and give them insight into where there may be risk—and then stratify that risk.”
- “BHIQ is meant to complement NeuroFlow’s other offerings, though it can be purchased separately. Compared to the company’s product for measurement-based care, which draws on patient-reported outcomes questionnaires, BHIQ does not require patients to download an app or respond to surveys. This means organizations have another pathway for data analysis.”
- and
- “Alternative pharmacy benefit manager and administrator Capital Rx is acquiring Amino Health, a care navigation company.
- “The acquisition, the company said, will allow Capital Rx to offer a better member-facing experience to complement its unified claims platform on the back end.” * * *
- “Amino Health CEO John Asalone positions the company as helping large, self-insured employers (often Fortune 100 companies) lower their costs through a sleek interface helping members search for top-rated providers, view integrated cost estimates, uncover prescription drug savings and book appointments easily. This allows members to not only search by medical provider or procedure but also search for drugs like GLP-1s.”
- and
- “Blue Shield of California has teamed up with Zocdoc for members to more easily schedule in-person appointments with providers in their health plan network, the companies announced on Wednesday.
- “Zocdoc connects consumers with primary care providers and specialists and to see their schedules and book appointments digitally. Blue Shield of California is bringing that seamless digital experience to its members to facilitate access to covered providers.
- “The new feature is available through Blue Shield of California’s searchable provider directory on its website. With the last-mile infrastructure provided by Zocdoc, members can immediately see the participating providers’ availability and book an appointment.”